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Monday Morning Fun: The Oddest Vehicles from Beijing 2010

Ever wonder what a car would look like that had the front end of a classic Bentley, the side panels of a modern Mustang, and the rear end of Grandpa’s Cadillac?

Of course not. Such a car would be hideously ugly, and no one in their right mind would ever build it.

And that’s what I love about the Beijing Motor Show. The same floor that features a Mercedes-Benz “Shooting Break” concept also features a lovely sideshow of various international interpretations of automotive art. All I can say is… wow.

First, let’s get right to the mish-mashed Mustang Bentley pictured above. Officially, it’s called the Mitsuoka Galue Convertible. Also officially, it’s the weirdest, most out-of-proportion vehicle I’ve ever had the misfortune of seeing. I’ll leave the rest of the snide comments up to you… but be warned, if you stare too long, you may never be the same.

Next, if you thought Lincoln and Acura were the only ones competing in the ugliest grille contest, Chinese automaker Geely would like to throw its hat in the ring, too. The company’s most recent entry is the Gleagle GS, which, aside from the monstrosity of its front end, actually doesn’t look too bad. It’s a look you might want to get used to, too; since Geely purchased Volvo from Ford, this is the Chinese automaker I think is most likely to enter the U.S. market first.

What you won’t see on the shores of these United States are fleets of Dongfeng Hummers. As we all know, the real Hummer brand was almost purchased by a Chinese company, but the sale fell through, and the brand is being wound down for good by GM. It seems Dongfeng would like to keep it alive, though, and has hand-built its own “Hummer.” Fascinating, no? Especially considering the hand-painted white walls.

You gotta remember that the Chinese are switching up from shanks mare, bicycles and donkey carts, so some mishaps in taste are bound to happen. The nice thing about the automotive industry is that people with bad taste need to buy cars too, hence the rolling rhubarb with “ugly stick” shift, Corinthian leather seats (with the animal still attached) and crab-face grilles.